Inside Your Head: A To Z Of Drumhead Designs

By John Nyman

September 26, 2012 12:25 pm

FIG. 7. Evans Hydraulic heads capture a thin layer of oil between the
two plies.

Donut Holes

Donuts make the head sound more wet, but tiny holes or vents
around the edge of a snare or bass drumhead create subtle ports for air
to escape and make the sound a bit drier, although the practice is still
slightly esoteric. Examples of these approaches can be found in some
Evans heads and in some OEM (original equipment manufacturer) heads made
for DW drums. A modest hole of 4" or so changes the note of a bass drum,
and, of course, a great big hole in the front of the bass drumhead makes
it easy to adjust the pillow!

Three clear batter heads with different types of rings (left to right):
Aquarian Super-2, Remo Pinstripe, and Evans EC Resonant.

Order Up

By now you can see that there’s probably a head out there for
you. How about a thin head with a donut and a dot? Available. How about
a coated double-ply with a dot underneath? No problem. A calf-like
surface with a thin weight? Got it. Double-ply head with a dot that can
withstand your animal aggressiveness? Right here. Thin, clear,
single-ply for reso – but in a weird color? Yes. Yes. A thousand times,
yes. The variety of available models is staggering. With basic
information in your pocket, you can find the combination of ingredients
that gives you exactly the sound you want in a drumhead, be it lively or
muted, focused or funky wet. Bon appetit!